Obama administration green lights 1.1GW of new renewables projects
Thứ ba, 19/03/2013 - 09:03
Department of Interior approves three of the largest renewable energy projects in US history
Department of Interior approves three of the largest renewable energy projects in US historyThe US Department of Interior (DOI) this week granted approval to three of the largest renewable energy projects in the country's history, firing the starting pistol on developments in the south east of the country that together will provide 1.1GW of new clean energy capacity.
Officials authorised plans for the 750MW McCoy Solar Energy Project and the 150MW Desert Harvest Solar Farm in California, as well as the 200MW Searchlight Wind Energy Project in Nevada.
The DOI said the projects would create more than 1,000 new jobs during contruction and deliver enough power to the grid to supply 340,000 homes.
"These renewable energy projects reflect the Obama Administration's commitment to expand domestic energy production on our public lands and diversify our nation's energy portfolio," Secretary Salazar said.
"In just over four years, we have advanced 37 wind, solar and geothermal projects on our public lands - or enough to power more than 3.8 million American homes. These projects are bolstering rural economies by generating good jobs and reliable power and strengthening our national energy security."
The administration also stressed that further renewable energy projects were in the pipeline thanks to an initiative between the DOI and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) designed to speed up the planning process for large scale clean energy projects.
The BLM said that it has now identified 23 active renewable energy proposals that are slated for review this year and next, including 14 solar facilities, six wind farms and three geothermal plants.
"The President has called for America to continue taking bold steps on clean energy," said BLM Principal Deputy Director Neil Kornze. "Our Smart-from-the-Start analysis has helped us do just that, paving the way for responsible development of utility-scale renewable energy projects in the right way and in the right places."